A double-bearing reel commonly comprises a reel frame, a spool rotatably mounted on the reel frame, and a handle for rotating the spool. The reel frame has a pair of side plates facing each other across a prescribed gap. The spool comprises a line-winding drum fixed such that the spool axle passes through the center thereof, and discoid flanges provided at both ends of the line-winding drum. A level winding mechanism for the uniform winding of the fishline onto the spool is provided in front of the spool. The level winding mechanism has a line guide that moves back and forth in the axial direction of the spool, and this line guide reciprocates in the axial direction in response to the rotation of the spool, guiding the fishline onto the spool. The line guide is provided with a guide ring (made, for example, of a metal or ceramic) for ensuring contact with the fishline and guiding it onto the spool.
This type of double-bearing reel (and particularly a bait reel used for lure fishing) may have a round (circular) shape or a low-profile (oval) shape, depending on the shape of the reel frame as viewed from the side.
In addition, a round bait reel does not have space in front of the spool, so the line guide of the level winding mechanism is disposed adjacent to the front of the spool. When the line guide is disposed adjacent to the spool, and a fishline is guided by the guide ring within a narrow range, there is a danger that resistance acting on the fishline will increase due to variation in the diameter of the coil formed by the line, and that the throwing distance will decrease during casting. This is the reason that the guide ring of a round reel is provided with a vertically extending slit for guiding the fishline over a wide vertical range, reducing the increase in resistance due to variation in the diameter of the line coil.
A low-profile reel has ample space in front of the spool, so the line guide is disposed in the front portion of the reel frame at a distance from the spool. The front portion of such a reel frame is provided with an oblong opening for passing the fishline, and the guide ring is allowed to move across the area in which the opening is formed. When the line guide is disposed at a distance from the spool in such a manner, resistance due to variation in the diameter of the line coil on the spool does not increase as much, even when the fishline is guided by the guide ring within a narrow range. This is the reason that round holes are commonly formed in the guide rings of low-profile reels.
To cast a bait with the aid of such a bait reel, the fisherman, for example, grips the fishing rod with his right hand and swings the fishing rod while holding the spool steady with his thumb. To take the fishline back in, the fisherman grips the fishing rod and the reel with the entire palm of his left hand by enclosing them within his palm, and rotates the handle with his right hand. Because the reel frame of a round reel is limited to a circular shape, the reel frame is higher for the same diameter of the line coil on the reel, impeding palming. On the other hand, the reel frame of a low-profile reel has certain latitude in terms of shape, making it possible to facilitate palming by reducing the height of the reel frame. In view of this, the upper front portion of the fishing rod in front of the spool is provided with a thumb rest (thumb-accommodating section) consisting of a smooth surface to facilitate palming.
In the above-described conventional low-profile, double-bearing reels provided with thumb rests, a line guide is disposed in the front portion of the reel frame in order to reduce resistance acting on the fishline. Consequently, the spool and the line guide are disposed at a distance from each other, and the fishline is taken back in at a position removed from the line guide, making it difficult to stabilize the shape of the line coil on the spool. In addition, the height of the thumb rest provided to the upper front portion of the reel frame cannot be reduced below a certain level to avoid inhibiting the reciprocating movement of the line guide. As a result, the distance between the thumb rest and the fishing rod is increased during palming, it is more difficult to place the thumb on the thumb rest, and palming is impaired, particularly when the grip section of the fishing rod has a large diameter.
An object of the present invention is to stabilize the shape of the line coil, to reduce the height of the upper front portion of the reel frame, and to facilitate palming in a low-profile, double-bearing reel equipped with a thumb rest.